What is .xxx?
The adult entertainment industry has, and always will, account
for a large amount of content on the Internet. While this is
enjoyed by some, it is not suitable, or of interest, to all. As a
result, Internet users are increasingly coming into contact with
content that they do not wish to see. Others are finding it
difficult to locate exactly what they are looking for on the world
wide web, because the availability of precise and clear domain
names has decreased.
The introduction of .xxx will create a clearly signposted place
where adult entertainment can be accessed and allow surfers to have
a clear idea of the nature of site with this domain.
Relevance to trade mark owners
.xxx is specifically reserved for members of the online adult
entertainment industry ("adult sponsored community").
However, trade mark owners will be allowed to block third parties
from registering .xxx domain names that match their trade marks
during a sunrise period from 7 September 2011 to 28 October
2011.
As from the beginning of December this year, the registration
process will enter a first-come, first-served stage. In that phase,
there is a risk of so-called cyber squatters exploiting the
situation by pre-emptively registering .xxx domain names containing
the names of the trade marks of others.
It is highly recommended that trade mark owners take advantage of
the sunrise period to block the use of their trade marks within the
.xxx Top Level Domain. Once a .xxx domain is blocked it will
permanently prevent another party from registering that domain and
the trade mark owner will not have to renew the domain name.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.